In commemoration of this year’s World Population Day, WPD, aimed at drawing the nation’s attention to the negative impacts of teenage pregnancy, the World Health Organization said that 18 million under aged girls get pregnant every year.
This was disclosed by the Chairman, National Population Commission, Eze Festus Odimegwu, while addressing journalists in Jos on Thursday.
This year’s theme is tagged “Preventing Teenage Pregnancy”.
According to him, “The World Health Organisation said, about 16 million girls aged, 15-19 years and two million girls under the age of 15 give birth every year.
Adding that, “Worldwide, one in five girls has given birth by the age of 18. In the poorest regions of the world, this figure rises to over one in three girls.
“Almost all adolescent births- about 95% occur in low and middle income countries. Within countries, adolescent births are more likely to occur among poor, less educated and rural populations.
The Chairman who was represented by the Plateau State Commissioner in the Commission, Mrs. Cecelia Dapoet further stated that, the ills of teenage pregnancy were enormous, hence the need for concerted efforts by all stakeholders to curb it and promote attitudes that are consistent with managing population for sustainable development.
He decried that, “Pregnancy is the biggest killer of teenage girls worldwide as their pelvic bones do not reach their maximum size and research indicates that pregnant teens are less likely to receive prenatal care.
Further lamenting, he said “Teenage pregnancy does not only impose severe health and psychological strain on the baby and the teen mothers but also have long term negative impacts on sustainable development efforts as it worsens the population and reproductive health situation.
Odimegwu maintained that, “There are four major reasons responsible for increasing cases of teenage pregnancy in Nigeria, poverty, sexual abuse, ignorance and cultural/religious beliefs. Parents are not often comfortable talking about sex with children, it is therefore imperative for Nigeria to implement national and international conventions that seek to curtail teenage pregnancy.
“There should be laws banning child or forced marriages and domestic violence, sex offences need to be investigated and properly prosecuted, penalties for sexual offence should be more severe, provision of quality and affordable reproductive health information and services as well as partner with religious leaders, parents, guardians, teachers, politicians on teenage pregnancy revention”.
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